1. Technical Field
The illustrative embodiments generally relate to a socket package including integrated capacitors.
2. Background Art
As processor packages grow increasingly complex, efforts are being made to reduce both the complexity of assembling the processor packages and to reduce the cost of package assembly.
Currently, a semiconductor package such as an integrated circuit may require mechanical and electrical connection with a printed circuit board (PCB). In the ball grid array (BGA) connection technique, one side of the package includes solder balls and one side of the PCB includes metal pads arranged in a pattern corresponding to the solder balls. The package is placed on the PCB such that the package and the PCB form an assembly with the corresponding solder balls and pads meeting. The assembly is heated causing the corresponding solder balls and pads to form solder joints thereby mechanically and electrically connecting the package and the PCB together.
The column grid array (CGA) connection technique somewhat solves the problem of different CTEs between a package and a PCB. In this technique, the solder balls are replaced with solder columns which have a lower stiffness and a higher standoff distance between the package and the PCB. Such features enable the columns to flex with less stress during dimensional expansion between the package and the PCB.
Several present socket packages include, but are not limited to, land grid arrays (LGAs) and direct attach interconnects (DAIs). DAIs are described in detail in co-pending application Ser. No. 11/950,592, filed on Dec. 5, 2007 now abandoned and co-pending application Ser. No. 12/262,662, filed on Oct. 31, 2008, now abandoned, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein. These socket packages are interposed between a processor package and a PCB (such as a motherboard).
Generally, these existing socket packages provide a means to connect a processor package to the PCB, and they often consist of a plastic (or other material) housing and an array of holes to receive pins included in a processor package.
In addition to serving to connect processor packages to the PCB, LGAs and DAIs may act to and absorb stresses associated with coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatches between the package and the PCB during temperature cycling and/or lifetime of the assembly.